This invention relates to the method of providing specific personal indicia that can be bonded to an individual's anatomy.
Applicants are aware of the following patents: U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,952,438; 3,949,233; 4,027,391; 4,208,795; 4,233,964; 4,239,261; 4,473,353; 4,557,693; 4,439,154; 4,512,744 and U.S. Pat. No. Re. 30,594. The disclosures of the listed patents are incorporated by reference herein.
The need for positive identification of people, both living and deceased, has constantly plagued mankind. Some of the many vital needs for identification include criminal investigations and medical emergencies. Positive identification would especially benefit victims of accidents, amnesia, or other similar incapacities. Certain post mortem identification gives peace of mind and finality that sometimes does not exist with current methods in the wake of many tragic events.
Many previous positive identification systems require a complicated insertion process and may require complex electronic detection equipment to read the indicia. Some designs place indicia on or in dental prostheses or on implantable substrates that are difficult and costly to insert and remove and which involve complicated and intrusive procedures to read or retrieve.
The applicants have discovered a new method of preparing and installing personal identification indicia. Applicants' method involves taking personal identifying information and shrinking it onto a microdot through a photolithographic process, for example, using a silver halide process. This provides a simple, inexpensive method of reducing vast quantities of information. The indicia is developed on a substantially chemically inert thermoplastic film, such as a polyolefin. This gives long lasting durability and protection. The indicia is then cut and smoothed at the edges.
The finished microdot is bonded to an individual's anatomy, for example, to the teeth by any standard dental bonding agent. A particular advantage can be obtained by embedding the microdot in the adhesive to encapsulate, and further protect, the entire microdot.
The ease of application of the applicants' process is a major advantage over many current methods. This is because the microdot is smaller, thinner and lighter and because applicants' microdot is much less obtrusive. Applicants' microdot can be attached to any hard portion of an individual's body using common bonding agents. This results in less risk and fewer complications for the individual involved than many of the complicated intrusive processes that are currently used.
The applicants' process also provides for ease of information retrieval. Applicants' microdot may be read by visual observation by simple magnification; this represents a vast improvement over all previous methods, such as complicated extractions or the use of expensive, complex, electronic detection equipment.
The applicants' process of production is also very inexpensive. Not only are the materials that compose the microdot very inexpensive, but the operations are few and simple. The process lends itelf to mass production by permitting use of a high intensity light or laser cutting device to simultaneously cut and polish the microdot edge and create suitable edge characteristics. The viewing of the indicia can be done by simple magnification at the location where it is attached.
Applicants' system permits implementation of positive identification systems on a large scale. Large scale manual and automated information handling systems are possible. For example, by placing a large number of indicia on a single sheet of film, and using a device which cuts and polishes the indicia, a large quantity of indicia, i.e. many microdots, can be prepared in a short time. The applicants' process is vastly superior to any current method in this regard.
Applicants' process and product may be further understood by reference to the following drawings, Description of the Drawings, and Description of the Preferred Embodiments.